Home / Uncategorized / Ram Kapoor on Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour workday row: “When I was doing television, I said I would only work eight hours a day…” 8 : Bollywood News

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Ram Kapoor on Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour workday row: “When I was doing television, I said I would only work eight hours a day…” 8 : Bollywood News

July 17, 2025

Deepika Padukone’s reported exit from Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, over her request for an eight-hour workday has stirred debate in the industry. While some support her stance, highlighting the demanding nature of film shoots, others feel the issue is more complex.

Ram Kapoor on Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour workday row: “When I was doing television, I said I would only work eight hours a day…”

Actor Ram Kapoor, speaking to Firstpost, is the latest to weigh in, sharing his own perspective on the feasibility of fixed working hours in showbiz.

Ram Kapoor said, “Once you have achieved success in showbiz, whether as a star, as an actor, and people want to work with you, then, yes, you are in a position to choose how many hours you want to work. I have been in that position for many years. Even when I was doing TV, I used to decide how many hours I want to work. So I’ve been lucky. Anybody who reaches a level where he doesn’t have to find work is in that position to choose how many hours he or she wants to work. However, most of us actors, myself, of course, and I know a lot of my colleagues, we know that when we sign on a project, we have to do that project to the best that we can, because that’s what it’s all about.”

Reflecting on his long-standing television journey, Ram Kapoor shared how he once set clear boundaries for himself. “When I was doing television, I said I would only work eight hours a day because television was nonstop, there were no seasons. It was every single day of every single month for three years, four years, five years.”

However, his approach shifted with time and the nature of projects. “But now, when I’m doing a film, I’m doing an OTT show, like for Mistry, there were times I was working 14 hours a day, 16 hours a day. But it was only for four months.”

Acknowledging his privileged position in the industry today, he added, “I’m very lucky that I’m getting to do whatever I want to do, then I don’t want to restrict myself. I have no reason to complain. This industry is very challenging. The hours are definitely too long. What they are saying, they are right in their own thinking, I’m only saying that I feel very lucky, very blessed, that I have achieved so much in this line, which is very difficult.”

Still, while recognising the industry’s demanding nature, Ram prefers to lead with gratitude rather than complaints. “And that is why I don’t choose to complain about anything. I just want to stay in a state of happiness where I know how lucky I am. So you don’t get into that negative frame of mind of complaining. You know what I’m saying? But that’s just for me. It doesn’t mean that I’m right and they are wrong.”

Ram’s perspective adds to a growing list of celebrities weighing in on the controversy. Vikrant Massey, speaking to Hindustan Times, voiced his support for Deepika, saying that as a new mother, she “deserved” an eight-hour workday. Others reportedly backing her include Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgn, Kajol, and filmmaker Mani Ratnam. On the other hand, Ram Gopal Varma dismissed the issue, calling it “blown out of proportion.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Mistry actor Ram Kapoor confesses, “Haven’t seen a single episode of my own Bade Achhe Lagte Hain because….”